by Megan Minnick, Purchasing Director
Welcome to 2019! It can be daunting to keep up with food trends. So many new products are touted as the new best thing, how can you know which to try?
We’re here to help! Here are our top five favorite trending ingredients for the coming year. Yes, they’re trendy, but these delicious and nutritious foods have a great chance of moving beyond short-term trend and transforming how many of us eat.
Cauliflower
This unassuming vegetable has risen from a somewhat boring menu ingredient to the fastest rising star of the vegetable world.
Why all the fuss? It turns out that cauliflower is a perfect veggie substitution to many of the starchy carbohydrate-laden foods that we love —things like white rice and mashed potatoes are are easily replaced by cauliflower with a fraction of the calories and exponentially more nutrition.
If you are looking to increase your vegetable consumption, cauliflower may be an easy place to start. In the Produce departments, we carry fresh riced cauliflower from Olden Organics in Ripon, Wisconsin. Simply sauté with butter (or ghee!) and use in place of white rice in any dish!
Ghee
Ghee is a type of clarified butter that has been widely used in India for thousands of years. Butter is simmered slowly over low heat, and the milk solids that rise to the top or sink to the bottom are discarded. The remaining golden-colored butterfat is known as ghee and is an incredibly useful and healthful fat.
Ghee is considerably lower in cholesterol when compared to butter and is lactose-free. It’s a great source of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. It’s shelf stable (no need to refrigerate), and has a higher smoke point than butter, making it very well-suited to high-heat cooking
Best of all, ghee has a wonderful rich nutty flavor that complements many dishes—not just Indian recipes. I keep a jar on the counter and use it liberally in almost all of my stovetop cooking—from pancakes to stir-fries. It’s also delicious on steamed veggies or on baked goods.
Local Hydroponic and Aquaponic Produce all year long
There is a new frontier in the local food movement that is resulting in a significant increase in the local greens that are available to us year-round.
Hydroponic (indoor growing without soil), and aquaponic (hydroponic systems that integrate fish farming) growing systems are on the rise here in Wisconsin.
In the last few months, we’ve introduced a full line of aquaponically grown organic salad mixes and spinach from Superior Fresh in Hixton, Wisconsin. We’re also in our first full winter of partnership with Sun Garden Greenhouse, a hydroponic greenhouse in Lancaster, Wisconsin that is providing us with beautiful fresh basil all through the winter months!
MCT Oil
MCT stands for "Medium Chain Triglycerides." This flavorless oil is usually sourced from coconut oil and is converted quickly and easily into ketones, which provides fast and sustained energy. It’s great for anyone looking for a boost of energy!
You will find MCT oil in our Health and Wellness departments as either a liquid or a powder. The most popular way to enjoy it is mixed with coffee to create a version of "Bulletproof" Coffee. Not a coffee drinker? MCT oil is flavorless, so it can be easily incorporated into smoothies, oatmeal, salad dressings, and a plethora or other dishes. It is not a high-heat oil however, so it’s best to use it in non-heat or low-heat applications.
locally made Global Flavors
No longer do you have to compromise your commitment for local food when you get a craving for flavors from across the world.
In the last year or so, we’ve seen a real increase in food make by folks who live locally, but who are experts in cuisines from far-flung places. This is in large part due to incubator kitchens such as the FEED Kitchens on Madison’s north side, which has made it easier for a wider swath of the population to pursue their food business dream.
Some of our new favorites include Madame Chu’s amazingly flavorful and delicious Singaporean Nyonya sauces; spice kits from Masala Mojo Indian Spice Kits (hand-blended spices along with a recipe to make amazing Indian dishes at home); and Mango Man’s tangy sweet Costa Rican salsas.